In 1967 Bob Dylan was recovering from his much-publicized motorcycle crash. To emphasize Dylan's startling fecundity, he laid down dozens of rudimentary demo recordings with backing from the fledgling Band. Eventually gaining an official release eight years later (with several delightful songs from a later Band session added), THE BASEMENT TAPES is a ragbag collection of alternately playful and serious acoustic-based songs that draw on a deep well of American tradition for their inspiration. Songs of the calibre of "Tears Of Rage", "Nothing Was Delivered" and "This Wheel's On Fire" on this ostensibly tossed-off masterpiece only serve to further underline Dylan's importance as a writer.